A special treat is in store for lovers of organ music and choral singing when Wesley Methodist Church hosts an afternoon recital on Sunday featuring visiting organist John Comber, and the Ensemble Singers with soloist Alana MacPhee.

Mr. Comber will open the programme with Josef Rheinberger's 'Pastoral and Fugue in G', followed by Herman Schroeder's 'Preludeum and Fugue "Christ lag in Todesbaden"', and J.S. Bach's 'Prelude and Fugue in B minor'.

The Ensemble Singers, accompanied by director and organist Lloyd Matthew, with soprano Alana MacPhee as the soloist, will then present Mendelssohn's 'Hear My Prayer'.

Outlining the history of this piece, Mr. Matthew said that Mendelssohn wrote many smaller-scale sacred works for unaccompanied choir, and for choir with organ, of which 'Hear My Prayer', with its second half, 'O For the Wings of a Dove', is perhaps the most famous.

The recital will conclude with Mr. Comber's tribute to English composer and organist Percy Whitlock.

British-born Mr. Comber studied piano and composition at the Royal College of Music in London, England, where he obtained his ARCM, LRAM, organ teaching and performing qualifications.

He lived in Bermuda from 1958 to 1991, during which time he was the organist at Christ Church, Warwick; St Paul's Church, Paget; and St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Hamilton.

From 1975 until circa 1987, Mr. Comber was also actively involved with the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society, where he not only played the piano in production, but also served as a rehearsal musician, house manager, organist, head of sound, and bass singer in the BMDS choir.

Now retired and living in Britain, Mr. Comber is the organist at the village church in Barrowden, Rutland, where he lives, and is also an active duo pianist.

Summing up Sunday's programme, the visiting organist said: "The whole recital has a spiritual theme, which is great."

Canadian Ms MacPhee is a former member of the world-renowned Shallaway Youth Choir, with which she travelled as a choral scholar.

She attended the Memorial University of Newfoundland School of Music, where she sang with its chamber choir, was active in its operatic productions, and from which she graduated with Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees.

Before coming to Bermuda four years ago Ms MacPhee taught elementary and high school classroom music in St. John's and Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is currently teaching music at Mount St. Agnes Academy, where she has developed a strong choral programme.

She is a member of the Ensemble Singers, and is also an active member of Wesley Methodist Church.

* Sunday's recital begins at 4 p.m. Tickets ($20) are available from the Wesley Church office from today through Friday (telephone 292-0418) and also at the door. Proceeds from the event will go towards the ongoing maintenance of the church organ.